Differences between the OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods) format and the Excel for Windows (.xlsx) format

When you work with two file formats, like .xlsx and .ods, there might be formatting differences, and not all features will be available. You’ll be able to convert data and content, but the way you work with the content might be different depending on which formats you use.

Switch your default file format

Click File > Options.

Click Save.

Under Save workbooks, in the Save files in this format list, click the file format you want to use by default.

What is supported when I save an Excel spreadsheet in the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format?

The table below shows which Excel features are fully, partially, or not supported in the OpenDocument Spreadsheet (.ods) format.

Supported Both Excel and the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format support this feature. Content, formatting, and functionality won’t be lost.

Partially Supported Both Excel and the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format support this feature, but formatting and functionality might be affected. No text or data is lost, but formatting and how you work with text or graphics might be different.

Not Supported The feature in Excel isn’t supported in the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format. If you plan to save your Excel worksheet in the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format, don’t use this feature or you risk losing content, formatting, and functionality of that part of your worksheet.

Not Applicable The feature was introduced in a later version of Excel for Windows.

If save workbook with dates before 1900-01-01 as .ods, the pre-1900 dates won't save correctly.

Not Supported

If save workbook with dates before 1900-01-01 as .ods, the pre-1900 dates won't save correctly.

Print

Print Ranges

Supported

Supported

Print

Repeat Rows/Columns

Not Supported

Not Supported

Print

Page breaks

Supported

Supported

Print

Header/Footer

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, Image, First page or Odd/even options are not supported.

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, Image, First page or Odd/even options are not supported.

Formulas

Supported

Supported

Formulas

Names

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, Local Names, Named expressions, and names to discontinuous ranges are not supported.

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, Local Names, Named expressions, and names to discontinuous ranges are not supported.

Formulas

Regular Expressions (RegEx)

Not Supported

Use Advanced Filters instead.

Not Supported

Use Advanced Filters instead.

Cell Comments

Partially Supported

Comments with content are round-tripped. Formatting on the comment might not be supported when you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel.

Partially Supported

Comments with content are round-tripped. Formatting on the comment might not be supported when you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel.

Data Tools

Group & Outline

Supported

Supported

OLE Objects

Supported

Supported

Settings

Window Settings

Not Supported

Not Supported

Settings

Sheet/Book settings

Not Supported

Not Supported

Protection

Sheet Protection

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, protection without a password is supported. However, files with a password-protected sheet cannot be saved or opened.

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, protection without a password is supported. However, files with a password-protected sheet cannot be saved or opened.

Protection

Information Rights Management (IRM)

Not Supported

Files with IRM turned on cannot be saved.

Not Supported

Files with IRM turned on cannot be saved.

Protection

Encryption

Not Supported

Files with of this type protection cannot be saved.

Not Supported

Files with of this type protection cannot be saved.

Data Tools

Data Validation

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some formula type Data Validation cannot be saved.

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some formula type Data Validation cannot be saved.

External Data

Web Queries

Supported

Supported

External Data

QueryTables

Partially Supported

Some settings, such as inserted columns, are not supported.

Partially Supported

Some settings, such as inserted columns, are not supported.

Tables

Total Rows

Not Supported

Not Supported

Tables

Table Styles

Not Supported

Not Supported

Data Tools

Sort

Partially Supported

Some advanced settings are not supported.

Partially Supported

Some advanced settings are not supported.

Data Tools

Subtotal

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, the formulas themselves are supported, but the settings for re-applying are not supported.

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, the formulas themselves are supported, but the settings for re-applying are not supported.

Data Tools

Filter

Partially Supported

Basic filtering is supported, but the Filter features added in Excel 2013 are not supported.

Partially Supported

Basic filtering is supported, but the Filter features added in Excel 2013 are not supported.

PivotTable

Styles

Not Supported

Not Supported

PivotTable

Layout

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some layouts, such as compact axis, are not supported.

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some layouts, such as compact axis, are not supported.

PivotTable

Calculated fields

Not Supported

Not Supported

PivotTable

Grouping

Partially Supported

Partially Supported

PivotTable

IMBI PivotTables

Not Supported

Not Supported

PivotTables

OLAP Pivots

Not Supported

Not Supported

Data Tools

Consolidation

Not Supported

Not Supported

Shared Workbooks

Not Supported

Not Supported

Charts

Data labels

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some Data Labels are not supported.

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some Data Labels are not supported.

Charts

Data tables

Not Supported

Not Supported

Charts

Trendlines

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some Trendlines are not supported.

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some Trendlines are not supported.

Charts

Error bars

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some Error Bars are not supported.

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some Error Bars are not supported.

Charts

Drop Lines

Not Supported

Not Supported

Charts

Hi-Low lines

Not Supported

Not Supported

Charts

Leader lines on data labels

Not Supported

Not Supported

Charts

Filled Radar Charts

Not Supported

Not Supported

Charts

Legends

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some settings are not supported.

Partially Supported

When you save the file in .ods format and open it again in Excel, some settings are not supported.

Charts

PivotCharts

Not Supported

Not Supported

Charts

Chart Sheets

Not Supported

Not Supported

Charts

Pie of Pie or Bar of Pie

Not Supported

Not Supported

Charts

Box and Whisker

Not Applicable

Not Supported

Charts

Histogram

Not Applicable

Not Supported

Charts

Pareto chart

Not Applicable

Not Supported

Charts

Sunburst chart

Not Applicable

Not Supported

Charts

Treemap chart

Not Applicable

Not Supported

Charts

Waterfall chart

Not Applicable

Not Supported

OLAP Formulas

Not Supported

Not Supported

Charts

Shapes on charts

Not Supported

Not Supported

Graphics Elements

The table below shows which Excel graphics features are fully, partially, or not supported in the OpenDocument Format (.ods).

Supported The Excel format and the OpenDocument Format support this feature. Graphics using this feature generally appear and behave the same in either format.

Partially Supported The Excel format and the OpenDocument Format support this feature, but graphics might appear different between the formats. No data is generally lost between the formats, but formatting and how you work with these graphics might be different.

Not Supported Because of the unique differences of features and implementation between the Excel format and the OpenDocument Format, this feature isn’t supported in OpenDocument Format. If you plan to save your worksheet in an OpenDocument Format, don’t use these features.

Basic shapes

Level of support

Level of support

Excel 2013

Excel 2016

Shapes

Supported

Supported

Text boxes

Supported

Supported except for objects inside text boxes. The objects inside the text box are dropped when you open an OpenDocument file.

Supported

Supported except for objects inside text boxes. The objects inside the text box are dropped when you open an OpenDocument file.

WordArt

Partially Supported

ODF does not support the WordArt options in Excel. As a result, WordArt is converted to a text box on save. The text and base text color are maintained but WordArt effects and formatting are lost.

Partially Supported

ODF does not support the WordArt options in Excel. As a result, WordArt is converted to a text box on save. The text and base text color are maintained but WordArt effects and formatting are lost.

3D shapes options

Not Supported

Not Supported

Pictures

Supported

Supported except for the insert and link option that are not supported in ODF.

Supported

Supported except for the insert and link option that are not supported in ODF.

SmartArt diagrams

Supported

Converted to a group of shapes.

Supported

Converted to a group of shapes.

ActiveX controls

Not Supported

Not Supported

Excel form controls

Not Supported

Not Supported

Objects in charts

Supported

Converted to a group containing the chart and objects.

Supported

Converted to a group containing the chart and objects.

Signature line object

Not Supported

Not Supported

Camera tool/paste as picture link object

Not Supported

Not Supported

Ink annotation

Supported

The ink annotation is converted to an Enhanced Metafile (EMF) image.

Supported

The ink annotation is converted to an Enhanced Metafile (EMF) image.

Group of objects

Supported

Some objects cannot be grouped together in Excel 2013, so the objects are ungrouped when you open the OpenDocument file. This includes a chart, picture, shape, or text box grouped with an OLE object.

Supported

Some objects cannot be grouped together in Excel 2016, so the objects are ungrouped when you open the OpenDocument file. This includes a chart, picture, shape, or text box grouped with an OLE object.

Object visibility

Not Supported

Invisible objects become visible after saving the file in .ods and opening again in Excel 2013.

Not Supported

Invisible objects become visible after saving the file in .ods and opening again in Excel 2016.

Object borders

Supported

Not all border styles are supported. Border styles that are not supported are saved as the default border style (black, solid line).

Supported

Not all border styles are supported. Border styles that are not supported are saved as the default border style (black, solid line).

Object fills

Supported

Supported except that gradient fills with more than two stops lose all stops after the first two.

Supported

Supported except that gradient fills with more than two stops lose all stops after the first two.

Line formatting

Supported

Not all line and line end styles are supported in ODF. Styles that are not supported are saved as the default, black solid line and open arrow type, respectively.

Supported

Not all line and line end styles are supported in ODF. Styles that are not supported are saved as the default, black solid line and open arrow type, respectively.

Picture cropping

Supported

Regular cropping of a picture is supported. However, cropping a picture with a shape is not supported.

Supported

Regular cropping of a picture is supported. However, cropping a picture with a shape is not supported.

Picture recoloring

Partially Supported

Some picture recoloring has the equivalent in ODF, such as black and white. Other picture recoloring does not have an equivalent and is flattened. The picture appears the same but the recoloring can no longer be changed or removed.

Partially Supported

Some picture recoloring has the equivalent in ODF, such as black and white. Other picture recoloring does not have an equivalent and is flattened. The picture appears the same but the recoloring can no longer be changed or removed.